I’ve been trying to get together my perfect list of girls names ready for the next couple of years when we start TTC, and just because I’m name obsessed! A lot of you have already helped and I have: [name]Claudie[/name], [name]Penelope[/name], [name]Rosalia[/name], [name]Enid[/name], [name]Mirabelle[/name] and [name]Thea[/name].
I’m now looking for opinions on a few new names that I’ve recently fallen in love with and am considering adding to the list! Would love to know what you think of:
[name]Phoebe[/name] (It’s no.26 in the UK, where I live, is that way too popular?! Also very matchy with [name]Penelope[/name]. Which would you keep out of [name]Phoebe[/name] and [name]Penelope[/name]? [name]Penelope[/name] is less popular in the UK at no.426)
[name]Rosamund[/name] (obviously I couldn’t have [name]Rosamund[/name] and [name]Rosalia[/name] but I love both and can’t choose! [name]Rosalia[/name] is so pretty and melodic sounding. It’s also Spanish and we love Spain very much as a country and it was where we went on our first holiday together so we’d like a Spanish name on our list. But [name]Rosamund[/name] sounds so regal and old fashioned to me, I just love it and I really want the nn [name]Romy[/name] which works with [name]Rosamund[/name]!! Again which would you keep?)
[name]Grier[/name] (I didn’t like this name but now I [name]LOVE[/name] it!)
[name]Annia[/name]
[name]Lelia[/name] ([name]LEE[/name]-lee-uh)
[name]Lilith[/name] (will it get lost in the crowd of [name]Lily[/name]'s?)
[name]Nona[/name]
As usual I will take new suggestions, though I think I’ve almost heard every name there is by now! Hehe.
[name]Phoebe[/name]
Obviously, I like [name]Phoebe[/name]! I am in the US, where [name]Phoebe[/name] isn’t nearly so popular and I actually think it was overshot by [name]Penelope[/name] this year. (If not this year, than I’m betting it will next year.) I honestly can’t imagine living somewhere that I hear [name]Phoebe[/name] all the time, so it’s hard for me to put myself in your shoes. If I were you, though, I might think [name]Phoebe[/name] is too popular and pick [name]Penelope[/name].
[name]Rosamund[/name]-
I love [name]Rosamund[/name]! I think it is much less trend-ready that [name]Rosalia[/name], which is bound to get a Twilight bump, plus the trendy -a ending. I actually knew a [name]Rosamund[/name] in college-beautful blond surfer girl-and the name wore surprisingly well [name]IRL[/name]. Of course, she did get shortened to [name]Roz[/name] quite often.
[name]Annia[/name]-
I have never liked the sound of [name]Annie[/name], so this isn’t for me. At first glance, I saw [name]Anna[/name], so that could be a problem.
[name]Leilia[/name]-
Also not found of the [name]Leila[/name], [name]Layla[/name] names…seems a bit tongue-twisterish.
[name]Lilith[/name]-
I can’t get past the ‘Mother of Demons’ connection. Too much ‘Supernatural,’ I guess!
[name]Nona[/name]-
This sounds like a name for a grandmother, ie [name]Nana[/name], Grammy, etc. Sorry. =)
From your list, I like [name]Rosamund[/name] & [name]Grier[/name] the best. You may also consider [name]Rosalind[/name] which is a lovely Shakespearean name. [name]Rosamund[/name] [name]Grier[/name] or [name]Rosalind[/name] [name]Grier[/name] are good combinations. I like [name]Phoebe[/name] to a lesser extent but I would worry about popularity. Another alternative would be [name]Daphne[/name]. Is this name popular in [name]England[/name]?
[name]Phoebe[/name]: I really like [name]Phoebe[/name], but the popularity might deter me. Out of [name]Phoebe[/name] and [name]Penelope[/name], I much prefer [name]Phoebe[/name].
[name]Rosamund[/name]: This isn’t my favorite [name]Rose[/name] name, but I do kind of like it. [name]Rosalia[/name] is lovely, too… I think I prefer [name]Rosalia[/name].
[name]Grier[/name]: This is a name I really hate. It sounds so harsh and masculine, especially next to names like [name]Mirabelle[/name], [name]Rosalia[/name], and [name]Claudie[/name]. It’s also a surname, while all the other names on your list are real girl names.
[name]Annia[/name]: I like it. It’s very intriguing. Are you pronouncing it a-NEE-a or [name]ANN[/name]-i-a?
[name]Lelia[/name]: It’s very pretty, but it might blend in with [name]Layla[/name]/[name]Lilia[/name]/[name]Lila[/name].
[name]Lilith[/name]: I’ve never been a fan of -th ending names, for some reason. I think it’s fairly distinct from [name]Lily[/name].
[name]Nona[/name]: This is really growing on me. I actually know a (ten-year-old) [name]Nona[/name], which is where I first became familiar with the name. I like it, but it reminds me of what some people call their grandma.
My favorites out of the 7 are [name]Phoebe[/name], [name]Lelia[/name], and [name]Nona[/name].
[name]Phoebe[/name] - I would personally go for [name]Penelope[/name], as it breaks up the length of your -ee names ([name]Claudie[/name] being two syllables). I do love [name]Phoebe[/name], though! Actually, I was almost named [name]Phoebe[/name].
[name]Rosamund[/name] - individual sound-wise, I would keep [name]Rosalia[/name]; so feminine, melodic and beautiful. However, with the nn [name]Romy[/name] added to the mix, and the non-use of [name]Rosalia[/name] allowing [name]Dahlia[/name] and [name]Zaria[/name] which I know you like, [name]Rosamund[/name] might win. Totally unhelpful, I know!
[name]Grier[/name] - having seen this a good deal on Nameberry, I’ve come to accept it, but if I am utterly honest I don’t really like it all that much. It just strikes me as an odd combination of masculine and insubstantial, and I find it somewhat hard to say. I’m sorry! It’s very different from your other choices, too, but in the middle it would be fine.
[name]Annia[/name] - I really like [name]Anna[/name], I really like [name]Anya[/name], I really like [name]Annia[/name]. A pretty twist on a classic! I can see [name]Claudie[/name], [name]Penelope[/name] and [name]Annia[/name] as sisters very well. [name]Claudie[/name], [name]Penelope[/name], [name]Annia[/name] and [name]Rosamund[/name], too, but less so [name]Rosalia[/name] as she feels very flamboyant next to [name]Annia[/name] for me.
[name]Lelia[/name] ([name]LEE[/name]-lee-uh) - I think this one is so pretty! I was seriously considering it recently, actually, but I couldn’t get ‘the feeling’ from it. I still love it, and while it seems very feminine and light it also has a vintage feel which grounds it for me.
[name]Lilith[/name] - an interesting vintage choice, I rambled about her on your other thread.
[name]Nona[/name] - I love [name]Nona[/name]! She’d totally be on my favourites list if one of my absolute top choices wasn’t [name]Nova[/name]. Simple and relaxed, but so pretty and with a lovely vintage feel to her, and unusual, too. A complete winner. Could be short for [name]Anona[/name] or [name]Winona[/name], too, but I love her on her own.
[name]Phoebe[/name] - I love this name a lot and wish it weren’t so popular! One of my dream sibsets is [name]Phoebe[/name] & [name]Owen[/name] but both are now too popular for me In your case I would chose [name]Penelope[/name] over [name]Phoebe[/name]. [name]Penelope[/name] is more interesting, less popular and has a wider variety of nicknames ([name]Pen[/name], [name]Penny[/name], [name]Nell[/name], etc).
[name]Rosamund[/name] - I prefer [name]Rosamund[/name] to [name]Rosalia[/name], but because you have an attachment to Spain, [name]Rosalia[/name] seems to have a lot of meaning for you. If you want to get the nn [name]Romy[/name] another way is [name]Rosemary[/name] (and [name]Romilly[/name]). I love [name]Rosemary[/name], but [name]Rosemund[/name] does sound more regal but it’s always sounded kind of serious to me. I also like [name]Rosalie[/name], [name]Rosalind[/name] and [name]Rosaline[/name] as well- so many pretty [name]Rose[/name] names! My personal favorites are [name]Rosemary[/name] and [name]Rosalie[/name].
[name]Grier[/name] - this name sounds very harsh to me and I associate it with celebs. I can understand the appeal but personally, I’m not a fan.
[name]Annia[/name] - [name]How[/name] do you prn this? [name]AH[/name]-nee-ah? [name]ANN[/name]-ee-uh? AHN-ya? I think it might cause some confusion, pronunciation wise, but it’s pretty nonetheless.
[name]Lelia[/name] ([name]LEE[/name]-lee-uh) - I don’t love the sound of [name]Lee[/name]-lee-uh. When I was little my sister called me [name]Lee[/name] [name]Lee[/name] (my name is [name]Lisa[/name]) so I guess it sounds off to me. I think people might pronounce it [name]LAY[/name]-lee-uh or LEL-ya. I really love [name]Lilia[/name] though ([name]LIL[/name]-ee-uh) and think it’s gorgeous so you might like that as well. [name]Leila[/name] and [name]Lila[/name] are nice as well but gaining popularity very quickly.
[name]Lilith[/name] (will it get lost in the crowd of [name]Lily[/name]'s?) - I prefer [name]Lillian[/name], mostly because the [name]Lilith[/name] biblical associations are strong for me. But [name]Lilith[/name] is pretty. I know a [name]Lilith[/name] actually, she goes by [name]Lily[/name].
[name]Nona[/name] - my best friend calls her grandmother [name]Nona[/name]. It’s “grandma” in Italian. So this is a bit weird for me, as a name. Maybe you’d like [name]Nina[/name]?
@phoebesmom - I wish I was in the US sometimes as far as names!! Hehe. I could honestly deal with it being top 200 or top 300 as I believe it is in the US, but top 30 is very high :S Hopefully it’ll drop by the time I have children - fingers crossed! I also know exactly what you mean about [name]Rosalia[/name] being “trend-ready” - that’s a good way of describing it! As for [name]Lilith[/name], I don’t have any associations with the name but lots of people seem to have negative ones so I’d have to consider that!
@mischa - I don’t like [name]Daphne[/name] sorry as I know one in her fifties and it has ruined it for me [name]Rosalind[/name] is lovely, I’ve considered [name]Rosalyn[/name] in the past to honour my mother ([name]Lyn[/name]), [name]MIL[/name] ([name]Marilyn[/name]) and sister ([name]Caitlyn[/name]) but I love [name]Rosamund[/name] for the nn [name]Romy[/name]!
@irisrose - I pronounce [name]Annia[/name] like [name]Annie[/name]-uh. I think that’s correct!
@auburn - thanks for your thoughtful response on my other thread which I’ve also replied to! I know [name]Grier[/name] is a very love it or hate it name. I used to hate it, so I understand both reactions. Chances are it won’t stay as a favourite of mine for very long but for now I love it! As for [name]Lelia[/name] - I know that “feeling”. I don’t have it yet for [name]Lelia[/name] but my partner really loved it when he heard it which usually means I grow to like it more over time so you never know!
@freckles - I wouldn’t use [name]Rosemary[/name] because of personal associations but [name]Romilly[/name] has been considered. Unfortuantely my partner is less than impressed by it I pronounce [name]Annia[/name] like [name]Annie[/name]-uh if that makes sense! I also hear what you’re saying about [name]Lelia[/name] - come to think of it my (male) cousin [name]Lee[/name] used to get called lee-lee as a little boy so I guess it could be strange :S A lot of people have also mentioned the fact that [name]Nona[/name] is a name to call your grandmother, this is putting me off a bit! I like [name]Mona[/name] but hate the word “moan” in there and also it was the name of my grandmother’s sister who she didn’t always get on with so it’d be odd to name a child after her! I love [name]Nina[/name] but unfortunately it’s the name of an ex of my partners who is the sister of one of his best friends so that’s out of the question. It’s a shame because I do love the name and it wouldn’t bother me but my partner wouldn’t like it and [name]Nina[/name]'s sister [name]Poppy[/name], who is a good friend of both of us, might find it odd!
Thanks for all the opinions guys - does anyone have any new suggestions? Something I may not have considered? I will literally consider almost any style of name! From Traditional but underused, to Vintage not yet resurrected, to exotic not yet imported and everything else in between!
Well, I think [name]Phoebe[/name] may have come close to peaking, if that helps. I really see [name]Penelope[/name] taking over in the future.
I forgot about [name]Greer[/name]. I love it! [name]Blythe[/name] is one of my fave names for [name]Phoebe[/name]'s hypothetical sister, and [name]Greer[/name] has the same no-frills, glamorous feel to me.
[name]Phoebe[/name]
I really like it a lot. I love the Greek history, but it still sounds very modern. However I’m in the US where it’s pretty much unheard of. I can understand the UK popularity being an issue for you.
[name]Rosamund[/name]
I just can’t make myself like this. There are so many nice [name]Rose[/name] names, and the mund ending just ruins it. [name]Romy[/name] is cute, but I think you should look for another root for it.
[name]Grier[/name]
I prefer the original spelling, but I love love love [name]Greer[/name]. Totally my favorite on your list. I think you mentioned [name]Blythe[/name] somewhere. I think [name]Greer[/name] and [name]Blythe[/name] would make excellent sisters. [name]Both[/name] definitely feminine, but still strong one syllable names.
[name]Annia[/name]
It’s a [name]Roman[/name] name, but the fact that it’s unheard of and the common [name]Ann[/name] family makes this feel made up. I think most people will think you stuck an -ia on [name]Ann[/name] for the sake of being unique
[name]Lelia[/name]
Suffers from the same problem as the last name. It’s a legit name, but the obscurity combined with the common pieces makes it feel made up.
[name]Lilith[/name]
On the surface an appealing name, but the whole soul sucking succubus thing kills it for anything but a fictional character.
[name]Nona[/name]
Sounds like something a kid makes up to call grandma
As far as your picks you’ve already got. [name]Penelope[/name] is a great choice, I like it a lot. [name]Penelope[/name] and [name]Phoebe[/name] are a little similar, but I feel like you could use them together. Theyre different lengths and different sounds.
[name]Claudie[/name] sounds so awkward to me. It’s just hard to say, plus it’s sounds like [name]Cloudy[/name] said wrong.
I think [name]Nona[/name] and [name]Lilith[/name] are probably out because of the reasons you’ve said which others have brought up also.
I’m glad you think [name]Phoebe[/name] and [name]Penelope[/name] go well and it’s also good to hear some pro [name]Greer[/name] opinions!
As far as [name]Claudie[/name], it may sound awkward to you but it doesn’t sound anything like cloudy in my (British/Welsh) accent! The “claud” part rhymes with “lord” when I say it not “loud” if that makes sense!! Therefore I’m not worried about it, but thanks for the input!
In your case I would chose [name]Penelope[/name] over [name]Phoebe[/name]. [name]Penelope[/name] is more interesting, less popular and has a wider variety of nicknames ([name]Pen[/name], [name]Penny[/name], [name]Nell[/name], etc).